A review of an affordable (say sub 500) laser would be nice as everything I have read indicates any laser less then $1000 -1500 is basically no good. So it would be interesting to see what an owner thinks of cheaper unit as it applies to our hobby.
I use both cutters with CorelDraw and have had a ball with them - as long as you take care (there are no safety interlocks on either) and keep your wits about you either will work well to make things for model railroading.
If you have a serious interest in the 50 watt laser cutter (my latest purchase) I strongly recommend that you look over an excellent set of YouTube videos that give chapter and verse of how to set it up, use it and make many modifications and upgrades - the videos are here:
One question I have had I have access to and use Autocad on a regular basis. Is there a way to bring in autocad drawings?
Also I am looking at a few different uses such as the following.
Links for a link and pin bridge. These are only a couple inches thick in real life so they would 've very thin materiel in HO. What ever thin materiel that won't bow or warp. There are literally hundreds of these on the Hawks Nest Bridge I want to model.
I also need to make a complicated brick building that is at Hinton WV.
I need to make a ridiculous number of lumber stacks for the saw mill at Cass WV. Say a typical stack is 1.5 to 1.75 tall about the same deep and I need enough to make 4 or 5 rows of stacks about 40 to 48 inches long each. Say say 200 to 250" long total or about 100 to 150 stacks. I figure if you do a zig zag cut you can use both sides of the cut as the face of the wood in the stack. Obviously this would only cut the thinner wood so sar 1/3 of the stacks. Is this practical?
I have a couple other uses for a laser also. Such as two prototype Coal mines the mine at Nuttle and the one at Kaymoor both on the C&O New River Subdivision in WV. I have the drawings for the buildings and could cut out blank walls with the Laser then cover them with something.. Not sure what as they are corrugated metal in real life and not very many good looking options for this in HO.
I also need a ton of panels and signs for the front edge of the layout but I don't see how a laser could help with that. I think a cnc or something like "The force" by KNK would be better in that case.But that costs about 700 to 800 with the rotary tool option needed for making control panels. So it is very much an either or kind of thing.
So that is the kind of thing I am considering right now. I could probably do $500 to $800 if it did enough for me to justify the cost but for me $1000 to $1500 is a lot of money and I couldn't bring myself to spend that at one time on my hobby.
I would think it very unlikely that you couldn't export a dwg file into a compatible format that the laser would accept other than CorelDraw. Unless, of course, AutoCad doesn't want you to play with anyone else...
You don't have to use CorelDraw. The laser software typically acts like a printer driver that you can print to from any publication. CorelDraw seems to be what people use that make laser etchings so it's always used as an example application in the laser manuals. So printing from Autocad will work as long as you keep your drawings laser compatible.
i USE COREL DRAW X 16 STARTED WITH X5 STUDENT VERSION. found I could learn th program. Cost afordoiable $ 100. with tutorials . no regrets . Regards Ray.
I use Corel X-15 and X -17 on both my machines ( Epilog Minis) and have no problems. The Epilog might cost more but in the long run it's the best. As you an be sure of getting parts and service even on a old machine.
My one is going on 13 years old now and runs great, if fact has been cutting the last ten hours.
And I think most of us with laser will do custom work and the price is not bad as you don't have to find the material
Comments
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Phenomenal. No excuse not to get one of those!!!
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Benny's Index or Somewhere Chasing Rabbits
A review of an affordable
A review of an affordable (say sub 500) laser would be nice as everything I have read indicates any laser less then $1000 -1500 is basically no good. So it would be interesting to see what an owner thinks of cheaper unit as it applies to our hobby.
-Doug M
Cheaper lasers
a friend also bought a sub AU$ 600 laser and it works "ok"
software not good and needed to make some mods
Craig Hepburn
Perth Australia
Review of laser cutter
Doug - I purchased a sub-$400 laser cutter from eBay a bit over a year ago -- I have notes on my web page here:
http://www.trainelectronics.com/LaserEngraver/index.htm
about my experiences - I also did a presentation at the East Coast Large Scale Train Show this year that focused on this machine - it is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FtwpCl29Kw
I used that machine for nearly a year and loved it!
Since then I have upgraded to another eBay laser cutter, one that is quite a bit larger and more powerful. It cost about $1400 -
http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-50W-CO2-Laser-Engraving-Machine-Engraver-Cut...
I use both cutters with CorelDraw and have had a ball with them - as long as you take care (there are no safety interlocks on either) and keep your wits about you either will work well to make things for model railroading.
If you have a serious interest in the 50 watt laser cutter (my latest purchase) I strongly recommend that you look over an excellent set of YouTube videos that give chapter and verse of how to set it up, use it and make many modifications and upgrades - the videos are here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqCyShJXqnElPTUnxX0mD5A
Enjoy!
dave
One question I have had I
One question I have had I have access to and use Autocad on a regular basis. Is there a way to bring in autocad drawings?
Also I am looking at a few different uses such as the following.
Links for a link and pin bridge. These are only a couple inches thick in real life so they would 've very thin materiel in HO. What ever thin materiel that won't bow or warp. There are literally hundreds of these on the Hawks Nest Bridge I want to model.
I also need to make a complicated brick building that is at Hinton WV.
I need to make a ridiculous number of lumber stacks for the saw mill at Cass WV. Say a typical stack is 1.5 to 1.75 tall about the same deep and I need enough to make 4 or 5 rows of stacks about 40 to 48 inches long each. Say say 200 to 250" long total or about 100 to 150 stacks. I figure if you do a zig zag cut you can use both sides of the cut as the face of the wood in the stack. Obviously this would only cut the thinner wood so sar 1/3 of the stacks. Is this practical?
I have a couple other uses for a laser also. Such as two prototype Coal mines the mine at Nuttle and the one at Kaymoor both on the C&O New River Subdivision in WV. I have the drawings for the buildings and could cut out blank walls with the Laser then cover them with something.. Not sure what as they are corrugated metal in real life and not very many good looking options for this in HO.
I also need a ton of panels and signs for the front edge of the layout but I don't see how a laser could help with that. I think a cnc or something like "The force" by KNK would be better in that case.But that costs about 700 to 800 with the rotary tool option needed for making control panels. So it is very much an either or kind of thing.
So that is the kind of thing I am considering right now. I could probably do $500 to $800 if it did enough for me to justify the cost but for me $1000 to $1500 is a lot of money and I couldn't bring myself to spend that at one time on my hobby.
-Doug
AutoCAD
I believe that AutoCAD will import into most versions of CorelDraw which is used with the $400 laser cutter.
DXF files will import directly into X6, the version of CorelDraw that I use.
dave
I would think it very
I would think it very unlikely that you couldn't export a dwg file into a compatible format that the laser would accept other than CorelDraw. Unless, of course, AutoCad doesn't want you to play with anyone else...
S
You don't have to use
You don't have to use CorelDraw. The laser software typically acts like a printer driver that you can print to from any publication. CorelDraw seems to be what people use that make laser etchings so it's always used as an example application in the laser manuals. So printing from Autocad will work as long as you keep your drawings laser compatible.
Michael
The Georgetown & Allen Mountain Railroad
laser program
i USE COREL DRAW X 16 STARTED WITH X5 STUDENT VERSION. found I could learn th program. Cost afordoiable $ 100. with tutorials . no regrets . Regards Ray.
I use Corel X-15 and X -17 on
I use Corel X-15 and X -17 on both my machines ( Epilog Minis) and have no problems. The Epilog might cost more but in the long run it's the best. As you an be sure of getting parts and service even on a old machine.
My one is going on 13 years old now and runs great, if fact has been cutting the last ten hours.
And I think most of us with laser will do custom work and the price is not bad as you don't have to find the material
and worry about break downs.
rich
www.rslaserkits.com